The more subtle racism: Lessons in misconceptions

I have led workshops on “Managing Your Prejudices” for thousands of people — and the rise of white supremacists has made my job even more important. Many admirable protesters have come out against white supremacists, however there is a more subtle form a prejudice that continues without much opposition.

I recently led a workshop for a South Florida medical school class of 60 students. Six people in the room were African American, including the professor and teaching assistant. When I asked if anyone had ever been followed around a store to ensure they weren’t stealing, all six African Americans raised their hands and no one else did. Their classmates were surprised and the African Americans explained that this is a commonplace occurrence. Another African American student noted that when people learn she is a medical student, they express surprise and sometimes disbelief.

One student reluctantly raised her hand and told her classmates that after the 9/11 attack in 2001, her Iranian parents were frightened and told the children to lie about their heritage and pretend to be Italian. A South Asian student shared that his parents instructed him to “keep his head down” when outside and never draw attention to himself. These students had heard time and time again that people who look a certain way or who come from certain countries are “terrorists.”

A white male medical student relayed a story about being on a bus and asking a young woman of color to move to a different part of the bus. The young woman called him a racist, because she didn’t know that he was trying to make room for a passenger in a wheelchair. The medical student was offended and thought she was very rude.

Someone in his position may have even assumed the young woman was a stereotypical “angry black woman.” Perhaps she didn’t perceive the effort to make room for the wheelchair because of past experiences with white men. Sitting through my workshop helped the medical student see that the young woman was likely reacting to a lifetime of racism.

Medical students are on a path to having a privileged position in society, and yet even they are challenged by subtle racism in addition to the overt hatred espoused by white supremacists.

A South Asian student shared that his parents instructed him to “keep his head down” when outside and never draw attention to himself.